Coronavirus and its impact on the environment

April 07, 2020

Everyone knows that there is a pandemic affecting the world, causing death and panic. COVID-19, as it is known, is a respiratory disease caused by Coronavirus.

There is propaganda, speculation, assumptions and conspiracy theories all over social media and the news surrounding the spread of the disease. It has infected approaching one and a half million people in over one hundred and seventy countries, killing more than seventy-five thousand. Now these are serious numbers.

Apart from the number of deaths, the disease is also causing many economic problems which include a reduction in trades, imports and exports between countries, and most notably the crash of the stock market.

Its quick spread, high fatality rate and the negative impact it has on both the economy and the environment give cause for concern, but the good news is that it can be managed if the right precautions are taken.

Some of the precautions that can be taken include:

Washing your hands regularly and thoroughly, for at least 20 seconds.

Avoiding touching your face with your hands. The virus enters a person’s body through their mouth, nose or eyes.

Wearing masks to avoid contracting or spreading the disease.

Avoiding public gatherings and stick to the social distancing rules if you have to go out.

Moderate exercising, taking supplements and drugs to help boost the immune system:

The main aim of this article is to discuss the effects of Coronavirus on the environment. The rate of its spread has triggered a life-or-death situation not just for health care systems, businesses, and individuals but also for the environment at large. The world is fighting a battle to ensure a healthy environment and combat climate change. The question is, what part is Coronavirus going to play in this war? Is it going to help support renewables and cut down emissions, or is it going to be fatal to the health and the environment?

Weirdly and bizarrely, the earth and environment are actually benefiting from the spread of Coronavirus, even though most health practitioners or politicians may not want to hear this right now.

One of the major impacts of the outbreak is a massive drop in the levels of air pollution all around the world. This is due to the decrease in industrial activities because of the "shut down" and "stay at home" instruction. Most of the gases that cause pollution are produced by power plants, car engines, and other industrial processes. They not only harm our Ozone layer but are also believed to be a source of respiratory and other health problems. Recent research from NASA and ESA have revealed that there has been a tremendous drop in some of these pollutants like nitrogen dioxide, carbon dioxide, and sulphur IV oxide. The world is also recording one of its lowest figures for air pollution in modern times.

Another positive effect of the coronavirus outbreak is the generation of cleaner water. A tourist or someone looking for a recreational spot might want to visit places like streams, ponds, lakes, beaches, and other water outlets. This activity leads to these places being filled with litter and waste, simply due to the sheer number of people that want to be there. Take, for example, the canals of Venice. This attracts numerous tourists and people just seeking to enjoy the area. These canals are known to be crowded and also very dirty. Now the canal has seen a massively reduced numbers of tourists and other visitors due to the virus. Amazingly, the water is now clean and clear again. This same applies to other water spots all over the world.

Coronavirus has also caused a major drop in coal consumption. This has contributed greatly to the reduction of air pollutants and the improvement of air quality in places like China.

Although the virus may have led to an increase in the consumption of domestic energy it has also led to a massive decrease in commercial energy consumption, thereby significantly reducing emissions. Energy is being saved this way because domestic energy uses less than the demand of commercial energy and does not come with the hazard of fuel pollutants.

One other effect of the virus on the environment is how it affects wildlife. Wildlife is a source of revenue in some countries and can serve as recreation in some others. Now that Coronavirus has disrupted movements of human beings, it is taking a toll on the wildlife reserve. Animals are being forced out of their comfort zones. This is because they are running short of foods. Videos have been shared that show monkeys fighting over scraps of foods, and deer entering urban areas in search of foods which are just a couple of examples.

Coronavirus is a pandemic that is taking a lot of lives, causing panic, and crippling the economic stability of almost all the countries. Even though it is agreed that it has to be permanently cured, there are some positive effects that come with it. As stated above, these effects have both their positive and negative sides. The clean air and clean water we are enjoying now were needed, according to environmentalists all around the globe. However, the adverse effects of human health and wildlife threats are not welcome. So, this article is not aiming to speak well of Coronavirus, but to acknowledge its impact, both positive and negative.

We at Ecobravo, love the environment and support the green earth initiative, so we are trying to take some positives from all the negatives that are coming with the spread of the virus. The environment and health are still our primary concerns, so if you want to know more about us, please visit ecobravo.co.uk for more details.